Photos: Notable deaths of 2013

Nelson Mandela (born 1918, died Dec. 5) led South Africa’s transition from apartheid, showing the world a model of peace based on justice. Mandela led the ANC in a war on a violent, racist regime and spent 27 years in prison as a result. But he chose the path of peace the moment one was opened. His key political lesson: Engage with your adversary’s fears. Walter Dhladhla/AFP/Getty Images

Margaret Thatcher (born 1925, died April 8) remade Britain’s economy but left its society deeply divided. The conservative prime minister who ruled from 1979 to 1990 was a fierce advocate of free-market principles, presiding over a remake of the British economy that restored growth but devastated Britain’s industrial north. She also took Britain to war with Argentina in 1982, but later helped ease tensions with the Soviet Union. David Montgomery/Getty Images

Sir David Paradine Frost (born 1939, died Aug. 31) talked with the powerful, the beautiful, the loathed, and the loved in iconic interviews broadcast the world over on networks from the BBC to Al Jazeera English. He most famously sat down with disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon. As much as he was known internationally as a journalist, his work in satire and comedy in the U.K. influenced even "Monty Python." PA/AP

Jean Stapleton (born 1923, died May 31) portrayed the naïve and bullied wife of bigoted Queens dockworker Archie Bunker in the hit 1970s CBS sitcom, "All in the Family." A veteran character actress, Stapleton's Edith would become a symbol of budding feminism over time as she gradually stood up to her chauvinist husband's orders to "stifle yourself." Everett Collection

James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (born 1961, died June 19) won over audiences as a New Jersey Mafia boss on the HBO series, "The Sopranos," heralding a renaissance in dramatic television and spawning the creation of a genre of “difficult men” for cable networks. He also produced documentaries for HBO focused on mental health and post-traumatic stress and its history in the U.S. military. Barry Wetcher/HBO/AP

Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read (born 1954, died Oct. 9) was best known for having both ears cut off while in prison, where he spent much of his adult life for crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping and impersonating a police officer. The Australian later became a best-selling crime novelist and headlined his own stage show. His commercial success prompted calls to amend a federal crime bill that confiscates proceeds from drug deals to also include entertainment royalties. Jesse Marlow/EPA

Doris May Lessing (born 1919, died Nov. 17) explored her journeys through the former British Empire in more than 55 works of fiction, nonfiction, opera and poetry. Her work is commonly categorized by communist, psychological and later, Sufi themes. Often irascible and controversial, her reaction to being told she’d won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature was, “Oh Christ! I couldn’t care less.” David Levenson/Getty Images

Chinua Achebe (born 1930, died March 21) was in his 20s when he wrote “Things Fall Apart,” the most widely read book in modern African literature. The Nigerian novelist pioneered an African literary renaissance that challenged stereotypes of Africa depicted in Western literature, such as “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, whom Achebe called a “thoroughgoing racist.” Eliot Elisofon/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Junior Murvin (born 1946, died Dec. 2) employed folk wisdom to croon about the social turmoil in his native Jamaica. Celebrated for his distinctive falsetto voice, Murvin is best known for the international hit “Police and Thieves.” The ode to gang violence became an anthem in British inner cities and remains one of the most acclaimed songs in reggae. GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images

Lou Reed (born 1942, died Oct. 27) merged street poetry and elements of avant garde to fashion one of the most profound rock & roll legacies of the 20th century. Reed melded noise and elegance to craft songs that were at once raw and erudite, and his work as a member of the influential Velvet Underground shaped punk and alternative music. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty Images

James Anderson DePreist (born 1936, died Feb. 8), among the first and only black conductors on the world stage, transformed the Oregon Symphony into a renowned institution, taught conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and was conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. The nephew of legendary opera singer Marian Anderson, DePreist conducted from a motorized wheelchair due to partial paralysis from polio. Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images

Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. (born 1934, died Feb. 27) was a world-renowned American pianist. At age 23 and during the Cold War, Cliburn lifted American morale when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He performed for numerous international dignitaries, including President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Every four years, an international piano competition is held in his honor, hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation. J. Siegelman/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Maria Tallchief (born 1925, died April 11), the daughter of an oil-rich Osage Indian family in Oklahoma, became America’s first prima ballerina, often compared to the best of Russia and the United Kingdom. As the muse for choreographer George Balanchine, she danced in the original New York City Ballet company and was the first Sugar Plum Fairy in his “Nutcracker,” a ballet that transcended the classic art form to become a holiday season favorite. The Cleanliness Bureau/AP

Annette Joanne Funicello (born 1942, died April 8) paved the way for break-out teen stars such as Britney Spears and Mylie Cyrus. She emerged as the most popular member of Walt Disney’s 24 original Mouseketeers, the singing group in the mid-century children’s variety show, “The Mickey Mouse Club.” She parlayed that exposure into stardom in a series of clean-cut, wholesome movies. Best known for her “Beach Party” movies of the 1960s, she always wore a modest one-piece bathing suit. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Peter James O’Toole (born 1932, died Dec. 14) made his theatrical debut in "Hamlet" in 1955 to critical acclaim after a brief foray into journalism and later military service with the Navy. O’Toole, whose international fame began with his role in “Lawrence of Arabia,” never won an Oscar despite being nominated more times than anyone else. He is remembered for his flamboyant manner and candor. Everett Collection

Dr. Eyad Serraj (born 1944, died Dec. 17) was a pioneering psychiatrist known as the man "who could talk to anyone," including Israelis and the group Hamas, whose leading officials he counted among his friends. He was a passionate supporter for peace between the two peoples, and a lifelong advocate for children suffering the mental trauma of living with violence. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

Mikhail Kalashnikov (born 1919, died Dec. 23) invented the AK-47, the assault rifle that has killed more people globally than any other firearm. When asked in 2007 whether he was troubled by his contribution to bloodshed, Kalashnikov simply said, "I sleep well. It's the politicians who are to blame." Vladimir Vyatkin/AP

Gen. Vo Nyguyen Giap (born 1911, died Oct. 4) showed colonized peoples everywhere that the armies of foreign occupiers could be beaten. The Vietnamese military commander became internationally famous for orchestrating a guerilla victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu, then led the campaign that forced U.S. withdrawal two decades later. His secret: Politics wins and loses wars. Pictorial Parade/Getty Images

Hugo Chávez (born 1954, died March 5) decried the evils of capitalism to emerge as the loudest critic of the United States in Latin America in the last dozen years. The president of Venezuela, who cast himself as a “21st century socialist” and his country’s savior, was a charismatic hero to the poor but a crude dictator to his opponents. Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images

Edward I. Koch (born 1924, died Feb. 1), the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. Koch presided over the city's transformation from crumbling, financially strapped husk to the playground of Wall Street financiers by rebuilding large swaths of the Big Apple, slashing spending to shore up city coffers, and in the process likely laid the groundwork for the New York we know today: wealthier and safer for some, but less equal for others. Tom Baffer/NY Daily News/Getty Images

Muriel Faye “Mickie” Siebert (born 1928, died Aug. 24) was known as "The First Woman of Finance" for trailblazing a path for other women in the male-dominated world of Wall Street. Siebert joined the 1,365 male members on the New York Stock Exchange when she became the first woman to own a seat there in 1967. Cynthia Johnson/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Marcella Hazan (born 1924, died Sept. 29) was a leading expert on Italian cooking and played a huge role in the popularity of the cuisine in the U.S. with her recipe books. An Italian immigrant and self-taught cook who settled in New York City in 1955, she emphasized fresh ingredients, seasonal produce and the simplicity of traditional Italian fare. Chris O'Meara/AP

Ruth Rogan Benerito (born 1916, died Oct. 5) was a chemist who is best known for developing no-wrinkle cotton fabrics. During the Korean War, Benerito also developed a method to give fat intravenously to wounded soldiers who could not eat. Benerito taught at the University of New Orleans until her death. In 2008, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Mary Jackson/Courtesy Lemelson-MIT Program

Eiji Toyoda (born 1913, died Sept. 12), a member of Toyota Motor’s founding family, changed modern manufacturing with the adoption of just-in-time production and improvements suggested by workers to refine products and the way they were made. Although the Japanese company kept "The Toyota Way" secret, the world’s largest automaker eventually began to consult with operations outside its industry, including the Food Bank for New York City, to help them increase efficiency. Paul Sakuma/AP

M. Scott Carpenter (born 1925, died Oct. 10) was the second American to orbit Earth, and one of two surviving members of the first U.S. space program, Project Mercury. In a memoir, Carpenter wrote he wanted to go into space to achieve immortality. His only flight was marred with technical difficulties, which some astronauts blamed on him. Still, he remained a vocal advocate for space flight until his death. Camerano/AP

Abigail Van Buren (born 1918, died Jan. 16), born Pauline Phillips, dispensed direct, often cheeky advice to millions of readers in her popular “Dear Abby” newspaper column. It began in 1956 and became the most widely syndicated column in the world. Her daughter, Jeanne, took over the byline, which was inspired by Abigail, a wise woman in the Old Testament. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Virginia Johnson (born 1925, died July 24) teamed with gynecologist William Masters, rear, in 1957 to demystify sex and help ignite the sexual revolution. By measuring the physiological responses of subjects as they had sex, Masters and Johnson — a former country singer who never finished college — debunked popular beliefs about women’s orgasm, penis size and sexual desire among the elderly. Art Shay/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Dr. Joyce Brothers (born 1927, died May 13) paved the way for celebrity psychologists in U.S. popular culture. From the late 1950s onward, her ubiquitous newspaper columns, TV and radio shows — and her media-friendly blend of pragmatism and self-deprecating humor — helped Americans get more comfortable with talking publicly about psychological issues. Phyllis Twacht/World Telegram

Gerda Lerner (born 1920, died Jan. 2) pioneered the field of women’s history, an area that scarcely existed in male-dominated academia when she taught perhaps the first course on it in 1963. Lerner’s work to recover the lost contributions of women — she created the first graduate program in women’s history, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison — greatly influenced the feminist movement. UW-Madison Archives

Aaron Hillel Swartz (born 1986, died Jan. 11) was a computer programmer and activist. His suicide, following his arrest and federal indictments for allegedly using a laptop on MIT's network to download millions of JSTOR articles with the intent of distributing them for free, prompted the introduction of several bills, including "Aaron's Law," an amendment to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to exclude terms of service violations. Sage Ross

André Schiffrin (born 1935, died Dec. 1) brought works by Simone de Beauvoir, Studs Terkel, Matt Groening and many other literary greats to the American public. A French socialist exile from the Third Reich, Schiffrin followed in his father’s footsteps to become an editor and publisher, first at Pantheon Books and then as cofounder of the New Press. He was a vocal critic of U.S. imperialism and the anti-intellectual turn in book publishing. James Keyser/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Michael Mahon Hastings (born 1980, died June 18), an American journalist whose sensational 2010 Rolling Stone profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal led to the resignation of the four-star general and commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Unabashed and unapologetic, Hastings criticized Washington reporters for their coziness with the administration, ultimately earning their praise after his death in an early morning car crash in Los Angeles. Blue Rider Press/Penguin/AP

Helen Thomas (born 1920, died July 20) tormented 11 presidents from the front row of the White House briefing room as a wire reporter and columnist for six decades. A pioneer for women in journalism, her no-nonsense style is exemplified by when she asked President George H.W. Bush, after learning there were no cuts in the defense budget after the Cold War, “Who’s the enemy?” Charles Dharapak/AP

Roger Ebert (born 1942, died April 4) helped popularize film criticism in the U.S. through his widely consumed and respected newspaper and television reviews. While some criticized Ebert for the simplicity of his thumbs up/thumbs down review system, he nevertheless had a profound effect on the importance of criticism in American culture. His struggle with cancer near the end of his life, which he openly discussed, also made him an icon of strength in the face of illness. Bettmann/Corbis

Tom Clancy (born 1947, died Oct. 1), captured the attention of readers around the world with his technologically savvy, military-themed thriller novels. Clancy's books made the Baltimore-born author one of the most famous, and perhaps wealthy, in the world, with more than 100 million copies of his novels still in print. Clancy sold more than books — he also sold an image of a powerful and morally righteous U.S. military that Americans were eager to buy into during the Reagan-era Cold War. David Burnett/Reuters

Elmore Leonard (born 1925, died Aug. 20), dominated the art of the hard-boiled crime novel in the late 20th century, with a singed-bare writing style driven by dialogue and scenarios dangerous, funny and suspenseful. "I never show off," Leonard said of his sparse prose. He didn't like most of the film versions of his books ("Get Shorty," "Out of Sight") except "Jackie Brown." John Blanding/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

Seamus Heaney (born 1939, died Aug. 30) has been called the most important Irish poet since Yeats, and was certainly one of the most popular, with crowds of “Heaneyboppers” attending his readings. Known for his wild, white hair and adoration by both critics and commoners, the Nobel prizewinner infused verses with the politics, characters, language and terrain of his native Northern Ireland. PA/AP

Ronald “Ronnie” Biggs (born 1929, died Dec. 18) stole money — and the world’s heart. The lifelong con man became an international celebrity after he and his crew robbed a British mail train of 2.6 million pounds in 1963, the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars today. The incident set off a 30-year global manhunt for Biggs. He was finally arrested in 2001 and released after complaining of health problems in 2009. Some say convincing a judge to release him was his greatest con of all. Keystone-France/Getty Images

Stan Musial (born 1920, died Jan. 19) was a Hall of Fame baseball player, World War II veteran and Medal of Freedom recipient. Nicknamed “Stan the Man,” Musial was regarded as one of the best hitters of any era, and remains fourth on the all-time hits list with 3,630 in his 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

George Jones (born 1931, died April 26) was propelled to the status of country legend for the ballads he penned about hard drinking, heartache and desolation, inspired by his own turbulent life. Nicknamed “No Show Jones” for the concerts he missed during drug binges, the star left an indelible imprint on the genre and spawned hundreds of imitators, but none that could match his sincerity. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Richie Havens (born 1941, died April 22) had his musical breakthrough when he moved from fifth act to opening act at the 1969 Woodstock music festival after another artist's equipment was delayed in traffic. He played 40 minutes, was asked to play four more songs, and toured for more than 30 years after that, spreading his musical message of social change. Gijsbert Hanekroot/Getty Images

Essie Mae Washington-Williams (born 1925, died Feb. 4), a Los Angeles school teacher, stunned the country in 2003 when she announced she was the interracial daughter of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a former segregationist who was the longest-tenured senator in history. The following year, her name was added as one of Thurmond’s children on a monument at the State House. Stephen Morton/Getty Images

Boris Berezovsky (born 1946, died March 23) died in his London bathroom, financially ruined, depressed, and in exile — a likely suicide, though some suspect Moscow's hand. It was a long fall for the brilliant mathematician whose business empire had once included media, oil, car manufacturing and an airline. A top adviser to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, he helped mastermind Vladimir Putin's ascent. But once in power, Putin made quick work of potential rivals, and Berezovsky fled. John Downing/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Edgar M. Bronfman (born 1929, died Dec. 21) advocated for Jewish causes around the world. Heir to the Seagrams liquor fortune, the Montreal-born Bronfman took over as president of the World Jewish Congress in 1979, and used the post to press the cause of Soviet Jewry, support Israel and press for accountability for Nazi crimes during the Holocaust. Ted Thai/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

C. Everett Koop (born 1916, died Feb. 25) was the 13th Surgeon General of the United States known for his hardline anti-tobacco and pro-life stances and for donning the military-style Surgeon General uniform on a daily basis. After decades of U.S. health officials neglecting the burgeoning AIDS epidemic, Koop also brought the disease to American doorsteps - literally - by mailing out a pamphlet that explicitly depicted sex, prompting religious leaders to call for his resignation. Terry Ashe/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images